Kendrick and Niamh got into the same car while Carter followed them in his car.
Kendrick looked at the rearview mirror, glancing at the car that was tailing them closely as his expression became grimmer.
Niamh was silently in thought when she heard Kendrick suddenly speaking.
“You already knew what’ll happen. Why didn’t you tell me?”
Niamh quickly understood what he meant. She shifted her gaze from the snow drifting outside the window onto Kendrick, who wore a cold expression on his face.
“I’m not scared,” Niamh said softly, “there’s nothing I can’t handle.”
“Nia, this isn’t about whether you can handle it or not, it’s…”
“I understand. I do understand.” Niamh earnestly looked at the agitated man and softened her tone. “Kendrick, I truly do understand.”
Kendrick gave Niamh a serious look, saying nothing in response.
The snow grew heavier over time, gradually piling on the ground.
Half an hour later, Kendrick’s car stopped at the villa’s gates once again.
When Niamh got out of the car, her eyes were immediately drawn to the two lines of tire tracks that were imprinted on the snow.
This villa was detached. Under normal circumstances, no one would be passing by this place, let alone leaving tire tracks at the gates, unless they came here deliberately.
“I see. You’ve locked her up here,” Carter said as he got out of the car. “Lead the way.” He seemed impatient, but his expression still looked perfectly calm.
Perhaps Kendrick was still worried about Niamh, for he did not notice the tire tracks on the snow.
He opened the gates and led the way with Niamh in tow.
“Kendrick, something’s off,” Niamh said, expressing her concern.
“Off? What do you mean?” Kendrick asked, confused. However, when he was at the entryway opening the door, he immediately felt an uneasiness hanging in the air.
Niamh too realized that something was wrong. She sniffed the air around her, then her expression suddenly changed.
“I think something has happened!” Niamh said with emphasis, immediately running upstairs.
Kendrick strode behind her.
Upon seeing this scene, Carter, who stood behind them, felt that something was amiss and quickly ran upstairs with them, toward the entrance to the guest room.
“Why are you two running so fast suddenly? What’s wrong?” Carter asked in displeasure, then his eyes fell upon the guest room door.
He saw that the door lock was broken and there were footprints on the door, suggesting someone had forcefully kicked it.
Carter’s expression immediately changed. “She’s here?”
Kendrick was silent while Niamh, her beautiful eyebrows slightly furrowed, said, “I smell blood.”
Niamh’s words put Kendrick and Carter on guard, their eyes simultaneously narrowed. Carter, however, was one step ahead of Kendrick as he violently pushed the door open.
The smell of blood intensified, and Niamh swiftly entered the guest room. She immediately saw a horrific puddle of blood, still fresh, that stained the snow-white rug. The room also showed signs of struggle.
However, Shirley was nowhere to be seen.
“Kendrick, where is she? Where’s Shirley?” Carter asked impatiently.
This was the first time Niamh saw such an extreme expression on this man’s usually emotionless face.
“Shirley was right here when I left. Carter, you can see that someone had clearly been here,” explained Niamh.
“Sorry, I don’t see it.” Carter’s face fell, looking at the blood on the rug, and he clenched his fingers one by one.
“This was your plan all along, isn’t it, Kendrick? You had intentionally put on such a good show! You said you want to make a deal with me, exchanging Shirley for the anti-toxoid test reagent, but the reality is that you didn’t even want this deal at all!”
Carter’s face was cold, his tone brimming with accusation.
“I would never pull this kind of trick. Someone had barged into this room and taken Shirley away. If you’re truly worried about her, I can help you in finding her current location.”
“There’s no need!” Carter rejected him coldly and suddenly took out the half-complete anti-toxoid test reagent from his pocket. “Since she’s nowhere to be found, this deal is off, Kendrick. Don’t even think about laying your hands on this anti-toxoid test reagent!”
As his voice fell, he suddenly lifted his hand and violently threw the anti-toxoid test reagent out of the balcony.
“Stop!”
Kendrick shouted, attempting to stop Carter, but Carter had made up his mind.
With all his might, Carter hurled the vial of anti-toxoid test reagent out of the balcony, ensuring that neither party won.
However, Kendrick was unwilling to stand by and watch Carter throwing out the anti-toxoid test reagent. At that moment, he launched himself toward the trajectory of the vial, leaping forward like a sword flying from its scabbard, his entire person seemed to soar with the vial.
Niamh’s heart suddenly leaped as this scene unfolded.
“No! Kendrick…”
Niamh cried out in alarm and ran over to Kendrick.
However, she could not catch up with Kendrick’s speed. She watched as Kendrick jumped down the balcony, trying to catch the vial of anti-toxoid test reagent.
“Kendrick!” Niamh ran hurriedly to the balcony and looked down. She then turned to head downstairs to find Kendrick.
However, when she ran past Carter, he suddenly reached out a hand, grabbing her arm.
“Let go!” Niamh struggled angrily.
Displeasure colored his face. “What did you guys do to her? Where did you hide her?”
Niamh looked Carter in the eyes, unflinching from his suspicious gaze.
“Listen, Carter. Shirley was here initially. Before I’d left, I’d let her bathe, eat, and sleep comfortably. Now that something bad has happened to her, it should be obvious that someone else is behind this. Why should I put up this act with you? Do you think I could’ve predicted that you’ll make this deal with my husband and come here?”
Carter’s brows furrowed at Niamh’s questions.
While he still gazed at Niamh with suspicion, his grip loosened noticeably.
Niamh used this chance to break away from Carter’s grip and quickly ran downstairs.
She rushed straight to the ground level beneath the guest room balcony where she found Kendrick squatting, and she darted toward him.
“Kendrick, how are you? Did you hurt your leg? You still have a scar from the time when you jumped out of a balcony in St. Piaf! How could you be so reckless and jump like that again?”
Niamh was speaking incoherently, torn between caring for Kendrick and scolding him.
She wanted to check whether Kendrick had injured himself, but when she reached out her hands, Kendrick grabbed them.
“Nia, I’m fine. Really.” Kendrick smiled. He had just jumped down from such height, yet his expression betrayed no sign of discomfort.
“Nia, look at this,” Kendrick opened his palm and asked, “where’s Carter?”
“I think he’s still in the guest room. Was that really Shirley’s blood? If so, who kidnapped her?”
“It should be hers.” Kendrick was certain.
As his voice fell, he heard hurried footsteps coming from the living room.
A slight change came over Kendrick’s expression. “Nia, the anti-toxoid test reagent that Adam gave you, you bring it with you at all times, right?”
Niamh nodded. “Yes, I always keep it with me.”
“Good. Give it to me. Quickly.” Kendrick reached out his hand.
Niamh’s heart skipped a beat as she grew very nervous. “Kendrick, are you unwell? Could it be that you…”
“I’m fine, Nia. Let’s leave it at that for now. Quickly, give it to me.”
At Kendrick’s urging, Niamh questioned no further. She quickly retrieved the anti-toxoid test reagent she kept in her pocket and handed it to Kendrick.
Kendrick took it just as Carter walked out from the entryway.
He immediately spotted Kendrick and Niamh, then walked straight over.
He shifted his gaze toward the vial of anti-toxoid test reagent that laid next to Kendrick. Upon seeing the shattered pieces of the vial, Carter’s eyes flashed with delight, then darkened further.
“Kendrick, that was the only available vial of anti-toxoid test reagent that could help Niamh, and now it has been shattered. Now, you can only watch the suffering of your beloved. Unless you release Shirley. She’ll then have time to develop the anti-toxoid test reagent.”
After listening to Carter’s words, Kendrick calmly stood up.
Niamh got up as well. She lightly patted away the snowflakes on Kendrick’s coat, looking at the shattered vial by Kendrick’s feet with a grave expression.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.